


Across the Sea

by tinyginger



Series: Haven, Maine [1]
Category: Haven (TV)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Pre-Canon, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:40:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22947946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyginger/pseuds/tinyginger
Summary: The night of graduation Duke invites Nathan to come away with him.
Relationships: Duke Crocker/Nathan Wuornos
Series: Haven, Maine [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1649257
Comments: 10
Kudos: 9





	Across the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> Listen to the song "Across the Sea" by The Sweeplings and think of this ;)

Duke stood at the shoreline, cold sand consuming his feet. He watched the water, freezing waves crashing into each other before rolling up onto the beach. The dark blue sky melted into the dark blue sea and gave no window to the world outside Haven. 

Next to him, Nathan sat, feet beneath the cold sand that his fingers play with. The physical sensations that came with being on the beach were some of his favorites. During a summer day, the sand would be hot, nearly burning his feet as it moved under his steps, the sun heating his skin while the cool salty sea breeze cooled it. When cold like that night, the sand cooled down faster, pricking his cold toes as it crunched and squeak while he stepped. 

Usually when they would sneak away to the beach late at night, they spent their time drinking and smoking and dreaming of a life outside of Haven, away from their fathers, the judgemental town, and ultimately themselves. They dreamed of finding a new Nathan and Duke somewhere in California, or Spain, or Grease. Somewhere coastal where Duke could dock his boat, and Nathan could feel the sand. 

Unlike most nights, Nathan wasn’t watching the horizon whilst dreaming of a life with a newly discovered and free Duke away from Haven, he was watching Duke… Haven’s Duke… his Duke. He often watches Duke, he’s fascinated by the beautiful and strange pirate. He’s confused why his pirate chose him but too scared to ask. 

Duke is lost in thought, something he is only comfortable doing around Nathan. If anyone else was there with him, he would wait until they were gone and then he’d go and find Nathan, and they’d do exactly this. They’d exist quietly on the beach, thinking. Normally, Duke would voice his thoughts in random spurts, giving Nathan no context but Nathan would hum a response not in actual words, but just so Duke knew he wasn’t alone and he was being heard. But Duke’s thoughts were on Nathan, and he needed to think them before he voiced them. 

The white noise of the Ocean lulled Nathan into a deep relaxation he could only reach when sitting in the sand and looking at Duke. He would have liked it better if Duke was sitting next to him, but he’d take just looking at the man. It would all be different soon, not nights like these, Nathan counted on many more nights where he could sit in the sand, somewhere between Hawaii and Australia, and just exist quietly with Duke. 

But they graduated. High school was over. It was weird to think they wouldn’t have to be back in homeroom on Monday, or ever again. They were both happy they graduated, but everything was different now, or going to be different. 

“I’m leaving.”

Nathan blinked, his breath catching in his throat, his chest tightening. 

An almost inaudible and embarrassingly broken “Me?” escaped his lips. 

He was met with unwelcome silence and his eyes started to burn as the figure of Duke blurred. 

“Not if you come with me.” Duke’s reply broke something in Nathan, something that was holding the tears back. 

Duke was afraid to look back at Nathan, fearing that if he did the man would be gone. So he stayed, watching the waves. 

It wasn’t until he heard the sobbed gasp that Nathan had tried desperately to suppress did he turn around. The sight that met him was one he never wanted to see again. Nathan was crying, sobbing, into his knees. His arms hugging his legs and his whole body quivered. 

“Nate?” Duke gasped. “Nathan?” 

One step, then he fell on his knees next to the sobbing man. His hand falling gently to the back of Nathan’s neck. 

They didn’t talk. 

When he stopped sobbing, Nathan listed sideways and fell against Duke’s chest. 

“Meet me at the dock tomorrow morning, I want to leave before six.” Duke whispered. “You can say goodbye to your father, leave him a note or something, and pack what you need. We’ll start our new life tomorrow, across the sea somewhere.”

Nathan nodded against his chest, playing with the multiple necklaces Duke wore, some of which had been a gift from Nathan. He could breathe again. Duke’s body heat warmed him while the night air and ocean breeze chilled him. 

He was safe in Duke’s arms, he was happy. 

Tomorrow they would start their adventure, their journey to find a Duke and Nathan away from Haven, but together. 

Together across the sea.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm rewatching Haven and they are scorned exes from the start. I don't make the rules.


End file.
